Motorola C-Suite & The Ex-Factor

The recent executive shuffle at Motorola (MOT) – Ed Zander out, Gregory Brown in – prompted a visit to their press release archives, and what I learnt: there is a constant exodus of senior management. Some leave because they don’t get the top job (CEO) and others are asked to leave because they can’t do the job. Whichever way you look at it – this constant shuffling is a sign of a deeply troubled company, that needs to make some tough strategic decisions about its future.

Here is a short list of those who have come and gone in past five years.

July 27, 2002: President Ed Breen leaves to join Tyco.

September 22, 2003: Christopher Galvin, CEO and Chairman is nudged out by the board.

January 2004: Ed Zander is named CEO.

January 13, 2005: Mike S. Zafirovski, Motorola’s president and chief operating officer, tipped to get the CEO job resigns and is soon named CEO of Nortel.